The Breakfast for the Club
by Schlangenkind
Summary: It's the usual story: a princess, a brain, a basket case, an athlete, a writer and a criminal spending saturday detention together. The day doesn't turn out as anyone expected but then neither does the following monday ... John/OC
1. Good Morning, Sunshine

I've recently watched The Breakfast Club again and couldn't help but try to write my own story. I know it's been done before but frankly I don't care. Just give it a try and if you don't like it then you're free to go!

**Warnings for the story: **mentions of child abuse, drug use, violence, swearing

**Pairings: **undecided

**Spelling: **I'm not a native speaker so my story is far from perfect. If somebody likes to correct my chapters you're welcome!

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**Chapter 1 Good Morning, Sunshine**

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Saturday mornings were rarely good. There were exceptions of course. Special circumstances like birthdays for example. Or sometimes when you were allowed to sleep in your parents might wake you with a cup of coffee or scrambled eggs. Today however none of these things happened. And really no saturday could be a good saturday when you had to rise at such an ungodly hour as six o'clock while the rest of your family had the good sense to stay in their warm beds all the while knowing you're going to spend the rest of your free day at the one and only place you definitely didn't want to hang out during the week-end. School. Shermer High School, more precisely.

Although she'd went early to bed the previous day Gem felt like she had only closed her eyes for a few seconds when her alarm clock went off. An hour later as she rushed through the empty hallways of her school Gem still wasn't completely aware of her surroundings. Her feet moved on autopilot and her eyes were only halfway open. Finally reaching the library Gem didn't bother to observe her fellow students. She would take her time for that later. Once her brain was ready to function. Without further consideration Gem walked to the last row and took the place furthest away from a girl dressed completely in black. There were a few other people there - four, actually - but Gem just folded her arms on the table and closed her eyes with a relieved sigh. Social bonding was overrated anyway.

An arrogant voice cut through Gems dream-like haze like a knife through molten butter. She blinked. There in front of his students stood Richard Vernon, one of the vilest teachers Gem ever had the displeasure of knowing. Considering that she'd went to more schools than she had bothered to count that was truly saying something. She forcefully suppressed a groan. Having a detention was one thing. Having it under the unforgiving eyes of Vernon was something else entirely.

"I want to congratulate you for being on time."

'_Sure, idiot. You're just disappointed that you haven't had the opportunity to give out more detentions yet_.' Naturally, Gem didn't say a word. Instead she leaned her chin on her left hand and stared blankly at the unappealing man. It was her first detention at Shermer High School, so Gem was a bit curious about what would be expected from her. Apart from sacrificing her precious sleep that is.

But before Vernon had the chance to go on a red-haired girl interrupted him. Gem blinked and stared at the vibrant color of her hair. It looked really nice. A bit like christmas. Where you ate cookies in front of the fireplace in a room that smelled of fir needles while outside fluffy snowflakes were falling. And somewhere, deeply hidden in the stressful weeks before christmas eve there was a feeling of peace that was lost during the rest of the year.

A sharp slap on the wooden table pulled Gem out of the pleasantly black nothingness she'd fallen into. Blinking disoriented she tried to remember exactly where she was. One thing for sure waking up just to come face to face with an enraged Vernon wasn't commendable. It really wasn't.

"And you will not sleep!" The man snapped at her only to turn around sharply and walking back to the front of the room. Still slightly out of it Gem's confused stare followed him. '_Oh, right. Detention. School. Fantastique._' Before she could drift off again Vernon's raised voice grabbed everyone's attention.

"Alright people, we're gonna try something a little different today. We are going to write an essay - of no less than a thousand words - describing to me who you think you are."

Now that was something that definitely managed to get Gem's attention. An essay meant writing. And writing was not - and could never - be a punishment. Not for Gem. With a soft smile she took the paper and pencil Vernon was passing around and rigorously ignored the question from the boy in front of her. Who cared if it was a test, if it would be graded or not, it was writing! Obviously Gem was the only one who was honestly happy with this task. That or Vernon had very little faith in his students because he babbled on and on about the actually quite simple assignment.

"And when I say essay...I mean essay. I do not mean a single word repeated a thousand times. Is that clear Mr. Bender?"

Gem's head snapped up when she heard the name 'Bender'. For the first time since leaving her bed this morning her thought were clear and attentive as she took the appearance of the guy in front of her in. His hair was long and dark. He was wearing a worn out coat and black, fingerless gloves. But none of these things were the reason Gem was convinced that this boy would live up to his reputation and maybe even surpass it. No. It was the way he was leaning in his chair, feet on the table, though Vernon had pushed them down mere minutes before. It was his mere attitude, the way each word he spoke was filled with aggression, with challenge. Gem smiled. She shouldn't be surprised and truth be told she wasn't. If five different strangers warned you during your first day at this school to keep an eye out for Bender (and run if you ever see him) you don't expect a mummy's boy with perfectly combed hair. This kind of reputation was impressive and had made her slightly weary but so far Gem hadn't ever personally met the bad boy. Well, 'till today. It was really fascinating how Bender managed to fulfill all expectations just with the first glaze at his looks. Strange but fascinating.

"Crystal…"

The accidental connection to her own name made Gem grin. Sure, Julie probably never expected her to move away. To another country where her name would mean something else entirely. But that was life. Shaking her head she returned to contemplating the mysterious boy in front of her. His voice was deep and heavily loaded with sarcasm. '_Nice. He might actually be an amusing company_.'

"Good. Maybe you'll learn a little something about yourself. Maybe you'll even - decide whether or not you care to return."

Either Vernon hadn't noticed Bender's tone or he simply chose to ignore it. At his words Gem couldn't help but scoff. '_Please, who'd ever willingly come her? Get a grip, idiot_.' Clearly she wasn't the only one thinking that way because another guy - this one blond and strangely familiar - raised his hand and stood. Gem frowned. She had seen that one before. Given that she had been at Shermer High School for exactly three weeks the number of people whose face she actually recognized was still somewhat limited. It didn't help that Gem was horrible at remembering names. Julie still hadn't forgiven her for the one time she called her best friend Fabian. With was kind of understandable but that wasn't the point.

"Sit down Johnson" Vernon snapped.

"Thank you sir" Blondie Johnson murmured and sat down again. Johnson? Johnson … Well, that wasn't exactly helpful. Gem doubted that anyone would have introduced himself by his surname. Than again, one never knew. Her train of thought was (once again) interrupted by the imperious and extremely annoying voice of the teacher.

"My office" - including overly dramatic gesture - "is right across that hall. Any monkey business is ill-advised. Any questions?"

"Yeah...I got a question." Gem raised an eye brow at Bender but of course he couldn't see her. The tone of his voice alone made it quite clear that he was done being a good boy. '_If he ever was one._' "Does Barry Manilow know you raid his wardrobe?" Frowning Gem stared at the chuckling boy feeling a bit left out. Where was the joke? And for that matter who was Barry Manilow? Well, Vernon's interesting skin color made it relatively obvious that he had been insulted. '_Big surprise there. Wonder if it's Vernon's first time as detention overseer?_'

"I'll give you the answer to that question, Mr. Bender, next Saturday. Don't mess with the bull young man, you'll get the horns!"

Watching Vernon leave Gem tried desperately to keep her snort silent but was only partly successful. '_Bull? Honestly? More like bullshit. For hating Bender as much as he evidently does Vernon sure knows how to make sure he'll spend even more time with him. Kind of hypocritical, isn't it?_'

"That man … is a brownie hound" Bender muttered. It must have been another inside joke because although nobody answered him Gem saw a sardonic grin on the black clothed girls lips. '_What the hell is a brownie hound?_' Well, she certainly wouldn't ask anyone, least of all Bender. His answers wouldn't be worth the time. With a soundless sigh Gem shoved this unpleasant feeling of not-belonging away and grabbed her well-used bag. A couple of pens, her lunch, an old lipstick, some crinkled papers, a book, a few dollars, a pink hair clip, a strangely shaped stone … '_I really should throw some of this shit away. Maybe then I'd actually find my things instead of wasting half the day searching for one thing or another._'

A loud, clicking sound caught Gems attention. Turning around she realized that it was the black girl. Was she … biting her nails? A part of Gem wanted to shrug and turn away again but the stronger voice in her head couldn't help but remark who fascinating that girl was (and that had nothing to do with her obviously bad habit of eating her nails).

There was a darkness clinging to this girl following her every move like she was dancing with the shadows. It was similar to Bender's aura and yet completely different. There was a silence in her mere presence that Bender never would be able to pull off. He was a rebel, a revolutionary. He was wild and free and defensive like a caged animal. The girl on the other hand was surrounded by quiet calmness and a foreboding feeling. It were theses shadows around her. They protected her, yet at the same time they cut her off from the rest of the world. The silence in her moves showed how obviously used she was to remain unseen. Suffering from her fate and yet craving the loneliness all the same. Her baggy, colorless clothes were just another way to express her feelings, having long since lost touch with herself, with who she really was and at the same time providing protection from the world, the humans, the judging eyes of the High School student body. This black girl was just as special and intriguing as Bender had been. Satisfied Gem smiled. The shadow child would be a great inspiration.

And she just got a thousand times better when she simply spit her nail at Bender (missing, of course, but it was the thought that counted). Gem turned away to hide her inappropriate wide grin (she was after all in detention with a criminal and a basket-case and who knew who else) and proceeded to rummage through her bag until she finally found her small, bright blue notepad and one of her pens.

"I've seen you before, you know …" Someone said into the dead silence. '_Well done, dude. We only go to the same school, you know?_' Gem didn't bother to look up. She didn't care either way. Biting her bottom lip she blocked out everyone else and started writing. Not her essay of course. That she'd do later. For now she had to finish one of her most recent projects.

_Come on! Let's run!_

_Never turning back_

_Never going home_

_Come on! It's fun!_

_No one's gonna check_

_No one's gonna—_

_No one's gonna—_

Annoyed Gem tapped her fingers on the table. She couldn't seem to finish one of her most recent ideas called "Exit". It just didn't fit. It sounded too much like some stupid song. And worst of all she was frustratingly unable to finish it. But instead of concentrating on her work Gem found her thoughts drifting back to the shadow child and Bender. It was itching her in her fingers to start writing about them. To capture a little part of their soul on her notepad to forever remember it. But she couldn't because Gem hated not finishing her ideas. And yet there were so many ways to catch the quietness belonging to the shadow child or the offensive aggression of the wild animal … A propos animal -

"I am a walrus!"

Gem stared at Blondie in utter confusion. He had somehow attached a pen to his lip and was speaking to himself. '_A sure sign of insanity. Great. Just great. Of course I get to sit in detention with the newest version of Doctor Jekyll. Though schizophrenia is an interesting topic. Maybe I could actually get something out of that._'

Blinking Gem ignored her speculations for a moment to watch as both Bender and Blondie began to take their jackets off at the same time. It was strangely comical how they looked at each other when they noticed it. From her place Gem was unable to make out which expression Bender wore but she had a clear view of the blonde boy as his eyes widened. He stilled for a second then rubbed his hands together like he was cold and pulled his jacket back on. His movements were jerky and he was practically vibrating with apprehension and nervous energy. Clearly Blondie knew that holding the attention of someone like Bender was anything but a good idea. But although he had completely removed his jacket already the wild one didn't stop staring at Blondie.

And Gem being Gem couldn't help but stare too. Though probably not for the same reason. Now that she took her time to take Blondie Johnson in it was hard not to notice how different he was compared to the other two Gem had already classified. And it had nothing to do with his proper attire or his perfectly acceptable hair cut. There was an unnatural stiffness in his body and a curious mixture of fear and agitation simmering just underneath the surface. This aura was most likely the reason Blondie was picked on (because clearly he was used to that). He radiated a softness a predator was looking for in his prey. At the same time his presence wasn't commanding or overwhelming. On the contrary he was more like a calming breeze on a hot summer day. Still, there was something else too. Something Gem found hard to actually pin point. It was the way he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. His uneasiness wasn't just because of Bender's heavy stare, no. It seemed more like he felt awkward in his own body. Caged, just like Bender and yet nothing like him.

Gem smiled. Getting a feeling for the people around you was always fun but it took time too. Time you normally didn't have. But when it came to detention you had nothing but time. Maybe she should come here more often. It might make her more comfortable with this new school. Julie had always told her that Gems way of viewing people was unique and that not everyone saw the shadows spoiling a person's soul with just one long, judging look into their eyes. Privately Gem was convinced that everyone was able to see what she saw. They just filed away their impressions in their subconsciousness and were later unable to actually explain why the liked or didn't like a person. They were blocking themselves but still trusting their instincts. And because it apparently worked for the rest of the world Gem found nothing wrong with that. Maybe she was just trying to put her impressions into actual words to write them down later. Maybe that was all the difference. Julie didn't believe her theory but then Julie had always been more spiritual than her, dreaming of the supernatural and such.

"It's the shits, huh?" Blondie muttered with forced happiness and a very unconvincing laugh.

The drama seemed to be over or the wild one simple lost interest. Having nothing better to do and unable to concentrate enough to keep writing Gem settled for watching Bender as he crumbled his essay paper and threw it at the girl in the front row. He missed and Gem wondered if he hadn't really tried or just wasn't very talented. Of course running out of paper was hardly the way to stop him. Maybe he was bored or just not used to being ignored but Bender soon started singing were loudly. Gem softly tapped her pen on the table trying to memorize the rhythm.

It was then that the quiet words of the red-haired girl in the front reached her ears. "I can't believe this is really happening to me." Gem rolled her eyes. '_Yeah, well life's full of surprises so you better get used to it. I still can't believe I'm in the same country as you and you don't hear me complaining, do you?_' Of course Gem didn't speak her thoughts out loud. She never did. And in the back of her mind she was perfectly aware that she was unjustly bitchy about the whole thing. But that was just the way she was. And the main reason she'd learned to keep her mouth shut.

Suddenly realizing how quiet the library was Gem suspiciously turned her attention back to Bender. She wasn't disappointed.

"Oh, shit! What're we s'posed to do if we hafta take a piss?"

'_I don't know but if I wanted to I'd ask you. I'm pretty sure you're the one who knows how these detentions usually go, Bender._' Suppressing her vaguely amused snort Gem lightly shook her head at the redhead who made a disgusted face. Couldn't she see that this was the exact reaction Bender was looking for?

"If you gotta go…" The sound of Bender unzipping his fly seemed surprisingly loud in the shocked silence. "You gotta go!"

Nearly against her will Gem found herself staring at the wild one with the same sort of repulsed fascination she felt when watching a lion ripping a lamb apart or seeing a horrible injury.

"Oh my God!" The redhead whispered with a high pinched voice and a soft blush on her cheeks turning around quickly. Her words were enough to pique Gem's interest as she swallowed another sarcastic reply along the lines of '_Wow, he's really that big?_'. But it was the color on her face, the clearly visible innocence that drew Gem in. It was obvious by her outer appearance that the way she looked was important for the redhead. Her clothes were expensive and her make-up carefully done. There was an arrogant vibe around her, not necessarily a holier-than-thou-attitude but more like the casual knowledge that socially she was above everyone else in this room. She carried herself with pride but her reaction to Bender's joke (it was a joke, right?) showed how easily she was caught of guard. And her eyes (during the brief moment Gem had actually held her gaze) spoke of caring and gentleness. Although even there was a splitter of haughtiness. Well, if nothing else redhead certainly made for an example of an interesting character.

"Hey, yer not urinating in here man!"

For the first time Gem heard the blonde boy in the front row speaking. She couldn't help but notice that while he and Blondie shared the same hair color that was about where the similarities ended. This guy wasn't prey. He was a predator. Dominance, aggression and rage, all these things were painted on his face like the redhead's make-up. There was something unsettling about this one. Gem narrowed her eyes, watching him sharply as he challenged Bender. His emotions were raw and chaotic. Fresh. Where Bender's anger was old and paired with bitterness this guy was ruled by his feelings alone. He was like a rough diamond. Beautiful, cold and terribly hard, yet still uncut around the edges. Still unfinished. His blue school jacket outed him as one of the populares, a member of some kind of sport team. Signs of blood, strength and coolness. How fitting. How unfitting. Because under the quickly blossoming anger there was a softness. Something pure that reminded Gem of Blondie. Yet this one was tarnished in ways Blondie wasn't and probably never would be.

Mr Popular was fascinating. They all were. '_Strange_.'

But the starting bitch fight between the two alpha men distracted Gem.

"Don't talk! Don't talk! It makes it crawl back up!"

"You whip it out and you're dead before the first drop hits the floor!"

Gem rolled her eyes. '_Never make an empty threat. It's the fastest way to lose any and all credibility._' Bender must have thought along the same lines though his reply was definitely amusing.

"You're pretty sexy when you get angry…grrr!"

Gem turned her head sideways to hide her grin and met the eyes of shadow child. The girls shared a smile over the boys idiocy. Still, their fights had entertainment value so Gem wasn't complaining.

"Hey, homeboy!" Bender suddenly spoke with Blondie. "Why don't you go close that door. We'll get the prom queen— impregnated!"

Gem cocked an eye brow. The wild one had found and started to exploit redhead's weakness extremely fast. He was good at pissing people of. Probably came with the training.

"Hey!" Alpha boy number two growled. "Hey!" He repeated when Bender ignored him.

"What?" The wild one finally snapped.

Good lord, did these two really have to start another battle? Maybe this time she'd even get a fist fight?

"If I lose my temper, you're totalled man!"

"Totally?"

"Totally!"

'_Ladies and Gentlemen please enjoy this outstanding performance emphasizing the high educational standard of Shermer High School and the impressive vocabulary our precious next generation has been provided with! Aren't they adorable?_'

"Why don't you just shut up! Nobody here is interested!" The redhead snapped at the wild one with growing annoyance. '_Wrong move, lady. Even if he planned on stopping before you just insured that he won't do it now._' Gem sighed.

"Really!" Mr Popular immediately agreed. '_Great comeback there, sport-guy! But then I guess a certain level of intelligence isn't required when entering sport teams._'

"Buttface!" He continued towards redhead gesturing weakly to Bender.

Gem wanted to. She wanted so badly to make some comment about his third-grade-cussword and the general stupidity of their argument and the provoking attitude and redhead's unnecessary arrogance but she held it all in. '_It's really good I've such a great self-control. The last thing I need is getting pulled into a macho-fight between jerk one and moron two._' The shadow child seemed to agree with her because she too didn't make a sound. Of course the growing silence didn't last a minute and of course Bender was the one who broke it.

"Well hey Sporto! What'd you do to get in here? Forget to wash your jock?"

Irritated Mr Popular turned around again to face the wild one. Honestly, how could he let himself be so easily drawn into a fight? Before he could utter a word however a soft voice interrupted their bickering.

"Uh, excuse me, fellas? I think we should just write our papers …" Blondie trailed off, looking cautiously at them like he expected insults or even fists thrown his way. '_Poor boy. He's like a lost child trying to be brave and failing utterly in a cute kind of way._' Jerk one and moron two weren't impressed though. In fact they simply ignored him.

"Look, just because you live in here doesn't give you the right to be a pain in the ass...so knock it off!" Mr Popular growled, sounding surprisingly animalistic. Gem wondered when the boy would snap. His emotions were so out-of-order it was really just a question of 'when' rather than 'if'. Bender either didn't see the same things Gem registered or he simply ignored the growing danger because he replied with a mocking "It's a free country."

Finally redhead couldn't keep her silence any longer and addressed Mr Popular in a condescending tone. "He's just doing it to get a rise out of you! Just ignore him."

Gem couldn't see the expression on Benders face but his voice sounded so horribly smug that she saw his challenging grin inside her mind.

"Sweets...you couldn't ignore me if you tried!"

Redhead didn't grace that comment with an answer but Gem wondered if Bender wasn't a bit too close to the truth for comfort. After all she still hadn't started writing again and normally it took a lot to get her away from her beloved notepad. Not to forget that Gem principally didn't care about other people expect for a select few. So what was she doing, wasting her time with watching stupid and meaningless power struggles between two school boys? Maybe it was the aura of these teenagers. They were all very different but where it counted they were still the same. They all had the same key element hidden inside of them.

They were trapped. Imprisoned in their own body, maybe even their own mind. Forced to bend to certain rules and expectations none of them truly wanted to follow. It was a sad, sad sight. But it was beautiful. In that strange, breathtaking way all sad things were.

Gem stared at everything and nothing for a moment, her eyes gazing over ever so slightly. Then she blinked. And started writing.

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Yeah, that's it already. And while there are hundreds of these OC stories I hope you bear with mine too. I'm trying to do the thing different but we'll see...

Comments? Suggestions? Like? Dislike? Leave me a review!

Love Schlangenkind


	2. When one door closes

Special thanks to those who left me a review (and anyone who took the time to read this ff)!

**Warnings for the story: **mentions of child abuse, drug use, violence, swearing

**Pairings: **undecided

**Spelling: **I'm not a native speaker so my story is far from perfect. If somebody likes to correct my chapters you're welcome!

**Warnings for this chapter:** There's some german and french in here but if translated those parts and it's not much anyway so it shouldn't be a problem.

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**Chapter 2 When one door closes**

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Carelessly tearing a page out of her notepad Gem threw the offending paper away. If she couldn't finish one of her projects it didn't deserve to stay in there. It had sounded like a nice idea but oh well. Now that she'd freed herself from said (really, really bad) poem she could finally use her time like she wanted to. But where to start? Chewing on the end of her pen Gem let her gaze rest on the other occupants of the library one at a time. Who would be the first to inspire her? Which soul did she want to paint now and in which light?

Even while asking herself whom she'd choose first her eyes already unconsciously turned to the shadow child. Slowly a small but bright smile formed on Gem's lips. The black girl would truly be perfect. Time for the next question: What about her was memorable? What did she want to remember? What was a deciding part of the shadow child?

Like always when she wrote Gem was completely obvious about her environment. Time and space lost it's meaning and the only important thing was the pen in her fingers. The only existing reality created through her own words. It was a wonderful power. For Gem it was freedom in a way that wasn't possible in the physical world any longer. And as she touched the blank page words and letters poured into her mind and her hand moved on her own accord.

_Silence_

_Just keep it quiet_

_Don't talk_

_Just don't_

_What's left for you to tell?_

Gem took care to write slow and clear least she'd be unable to read her work later on. It had happened before and it always annoyed her because not only was the time she spend on creating her project lost but so was a part of her imagination. Gem had never been able to write the exact same thing twice just like she didn't see people the same on second glance. There was always a difference between first and second impression. It were these first impressions that she lost when she was careless with her work. No amount of trying could make up for that loss. She'd learned that the hard way.

Two horribly loud screams shook Gem out of her own little world. A little dazed from such a violent wake-up call she turned her head to see what was causing this ruckus. Bender was hanging half over the table in an apparent effort to be as close to redhead and Mr Popular as possible. They had both turned around and were glaring heatedly at the wild one, redhead with flushed cheeks and Mr Popular with a hard glint in his eyes. Their animosity made it clear that Bender had once again managed to get under their skin. Gem rolled her eyes. Not even an hour was up yet and already they were like dolls following the puppeteer's commands. The wild one really knew how to push someone's buttons. Gem only hoped that he'd be too busy unnerving the other students in the front to pay her any attention. A girl could dream, right? '_Sure. Because nine hours in here are such a short time that these two over there won't bore him out of his mind before long. Keep telling yourself that, sugar._' Oh, how Gem hated it when her instincts were making sense.

Another yell, this one coming straight from Vernon's office, served to diffuse the tension for a moment as Mr Popular turned away from the wild one. Again it was said wild one who started another conversation. '_He's probably so used to being here, that the incredible enticing aura of the library is lost to him. I mean, who doesn't love to spend his time staring at bookshelves, waiting for the damn clock to move?_'

With an uncharacteristic spring in his steps Bender abandoned his seat and threw himself onto the railing in front of the redhead's table. '_Perfect view on his victims. What a fortunate accident._'

"What do you say we close that door. We can't have any kind of party with Vernon checking us out every few seconds."

Gem wasn't sure why he asked. Surely he didn't honestly care about their opinion. He was the wild one. He'd just do what he wanted to do. Maybe he wanted to piss the two in the front off first. Because judging by the way Mr Popular's fists clenched he was doing a damn good job. The first to respond however wasn't the school team guy. It was Blondie Johnson. Gem couldn't decide who was more surprised about him interrupting: Bender, Mr Popular or Blondie himself.

"Well, you know the door's s'posed to stay open …" He trailed of with a somewhat fearful expression on his face.

Already Gem could tell who'd be winning this fight and the battle hadn't even started yet. Because in the end there was nothing Blondie or Mr Popular could do to stop Bender and while the wild one was certainly messing with them Gem didn't doubt his ability to actually go through with his threat. Or brilliant idea, depending on your point of view. Their predictable actions bored Gem and already she wished for the comfortable quietness in her room. Coming back to saturday detention suddenly didn't seem as great an idea as it was twenty minutes ago. Today would be a first and last kind of experience if she had anything to say about it. Of course Mr Popular just had to interrupt her train of thoughts with his oh-so-important yelling.

"So why don't you just shut up! There's four other people in here you know?!"

But why did Gem even care? She should just do what she always did: not getting involved and minding her own business. So instead of watching them bickering like her parents at home Gem turned in her seat until she had a perfect view of the shadow child. There was a strangely dark expression on the black girl's face. The continuing argument was obviously upsetting her but she still hadn't said a word.

_Life is rules_

_Rules you're meant to follow_

"God, you can count. See! I knew you had to be smart to be a…a wrestler."

'_So … A wrestler, hm? Interesting. Don't you need some resemblance of self-control to achieve anything in that sport? Or maybe he's just a reserve player. Or … well, I really don't have any idea about training like that so I wouldn't know anyways. But I like Bender's tone. The amounts of sarcasm and friendly companionship were perfectly balanced._'

"Who the hell are you to judge anybody anyway?"

'_That's actually a good question._' Gem noted absently. Her eyes were still glued to the shadow child although her pen was moving once again.

"Really…" Redhead's voice was annoyed but also tense. Gem wondered if it was the bickering that made her uncomfortable or the closeness of the wild one. It was another interesting facet of the girl and Gem would have paid a lot more attention if it wasn't for the fact that she hadn't finished the shadow child's project yet.

_It says the right it's wrong_

_So keep it quiet_

_Keep it quiet_

_Not a hint_

_You know I'm right_

"You know, Bender...you don't even count -"

It was Mr Popular again. His voice was colder now. Crueler. Gem watched as the black girl's eyes lost their glimmer of amusement and felt the grip on her pen tighten.

_You know I'm right._

_These words-_

"I mean if you disappeared forever it wouldn't make any difference -"

Gem tried to concentrate, tried not to think about anything but the words forming on her notepad but it was hard.

_You know I'-_

_You know I'm right-_

_Thes-__-_

_These wor-_

_These words_

_Better left unsaid_

_These secrets_

_Better stay forgot-_

"You may as well not even exist at this school!"

_These words_

_Better left unsai-_

Gem felt the paper tearing under the extreme pressure she put on her pen. But she was unable to lighten her grip up. The tearing of the paper sounded unusually loud in her ears. Somewhere along this nice little speech she'd turned around again to face wrestler-boy. Also known as jackass one. But instead the only thing she saw was the wild one's face. He wasn't wild anymore. He was nothing at all. Because his challenging smile had been replaced with a blank mask. There was no sign of pain on his face but the complete absence of any emotion spoke for itself. Times like these proved that sometimes silence said more than a thousand words. Once Gem found the will to move again she gazed at the black girl. Her eyes were glittering like she'd start crying every second. And Gem wanted to go over and comfort the lost shadow child. She wanted to protect her, to take care of her. Bender would be fine. He was upset, sure, but he wouldn't stay down. Ever. This girl was different. It was unsettling how much she reminded Gem of Julie. Julie who was ten times the woman Gem would ever be.

Thinking about Julie hurt so Gem was for the first time since Vernon left the library thankful when Bender once again replied in a mocking tone like Mr Popular's statement didn't bother him at all. '_Maybe it really didn't_' Gem thought. '_Maybe it's the truth behind his words which cuts so much deeper than any knife would ever be able to._'

"Well...I'll just run right out and join the wrestling team."

The second Bender gave a sarcastic retort something yanked Gem out of her thoughts and back into the reality she'd lost touch with minutes ago. This … her returning … it hurt. Even worse than her thoughts about Julie. Because in that one second Bender started speaking again, already recovered from the verbal abuse, Gem realized that she'd failed yet again. Mr Popular's words had been cruel, unnecessary and absolutely uncalled for. But nobody spoke up. Gem didn't speak up. She didn't defend the wild one or the shadow child or even just herself. She simply let Wrestler-boy walk all over them. And because of what? Because she'd become so detached with life? Had she been an invisible observer for so long that she'd forgotten that she was still alive? That watching injustice was no better than committing the crime herself?

Gem remembered a quote she'd once read. '_If you aren't part of the solution, you're part of the problem._'

Never had these words been more fitting.

Her father was right then. The truth was a horribly bittersweet thing.

"You know why guys like you knock everything?" Redhead asked with surprising confidence considering her uneasiness around the wild one. Blinking Gem forced the tears away. Being an uninvolved bystander was nothing new for her. It wasn't always easy, especially when she got emotional for one reason or another, but it was manageable. She definitely preferred it over participating in the conflicts. Besides swallowing her own replies had become Gem's second nature. Kids like the shadow child would have to fight their own battles or they'd never make it in the real world.

"It's 'cause you're afraid." Gem shifted her gaze to the redhead in the front and ignored her bad conscience with practiced ease. It worried her a bit how easily she shrugged the heavy gaze of the black girl off. Almost like she didn't care. Was she really becoming that cold? That good at what she did?

"Oh, God! You ritchies are so smart, that's exactly why I'm not heavy in activities!" The wild one said with a touch too much enthusiasm, clearly mocking her. But the redhead remained unfazed. The pressure of Bender's furious glare, hidden beneath a mask of false eagerness, didn't seem to impress her at all. Gem would most likely have cared a lot more about the awakening fire spirit inside the dignified girl but her mind was still otherwise occupied. When had she turned from the embarrassingly loud child into the unseen observer? When had she stopped watching her words and started just being silent? When had she become a mute coward?

And just like that Julie's last words were back inside her head. Whispered yet unusual strong. '_The only chains holding you back are those of your own making._' Gem bowed her head, once again fighting tears of sadness, of anger, of frustration. Where did she go wrong?

"You're a big coward!"

Gem didn't know who said those words nor did she acknowledge that she wasn't spoken to. But she felt the truth in those words like especially painful punches in her stomach. Frantically gripping the edge of her table Gem closed her eyes and forced herself to breathe. Slowly. Then she did what she did best: She pushed her thoughts, her fear and her guilt away, hid it in the darkest depth of her mind where it would never bother her again. Then she turned her whole body so as not to be faced with the ongoing battle of wills between the wild one and the redhead but not far enough to have to see the shadow child. Instead Gem settled for the most calming presence in the room: Blondie Johnson. He watched the argument with growing apprehension and looked around repeatedly as though he was silently asking for help. It was then that their eyes met on accident. Blushing Blondie smiled shyly. It was cute and Gem couldn't help but smile back. Anything to forget. Blondie likely had similar thoughts.

"I'm in the math club" He offered softly, still struggling with successfully blending out the other's confrontation. Gem's lips twitched yet again and while she still hadn't said a word Blondie must have taken her continued attention as encouragement.

"I'm in the physics club too." His tone was a bit unsure like he was waiting for Gem to slap him or something. But she just stared at him with a really, really small smile on her face and waited. She liked Blondie's voice. It held the same calming notion his aura possessed. He'd be a great reader with this voice. Gem could probably listen to him for hours to no end. But for now a short distraction from unwelcoming memories would be enough for her. And she really appreciated his efforts to get to know her. Maybe thanks to her lack of participation he gave the impression of talking to the others because right when the muscles in Gem's shoulder blades started to relax Blender cut through the (admittedly one-sided) conversation.

"What are you babbling about?"

Obviously startled by the sudden acknowledgement of his existence Blondie stared blankly at the wild one. "Well, what I said was...I'm in the math club, the Latin club and the physics club...physics club" he stuttered and sent Gem a confused glance. She just shrugged indifferently, having lost track of the redhead's conversation. For a moment it seemed like Bender was already finished with Blondie and the poor boy slowly calmed down again sharing a relieved look with Gem who hesitantly opened her mouth. But once again the wild one interrupted their 'talk'.

"What do you guys do in your club?" Bender asked. Frowning Gem tried to decide whether he was actually interested in Blondie or just wanted to mock him. Maybe a bit of both? Or neither? The wild one was difficult to read. Ironically really, considering he was the most outspoken person with the most domineering aura Gem had met in a long time. Not the first though. There had been someone else once. Someone with a presence just as dark and bitterness embedded deeply in his very bones.

"In physics, um, we ah, we talk about physics … about properties of physics."

'_Physics is about physics? Who would have guessed?_' Gem mocked silently and then immediately apologized internally. It were moments like these which reminded her why she kept silent most of the time. Her inner bitch wasn't exactly an easy person to be around and she didn't care if the people she insulted deserved it or not. '_Which might explain why I got in so many fights when I was younger._' But because people like Blondie didn't deserve such a treatment she had learned to keep her mouth shut. '_Maybe too much._'

"So it's sorta social … demented and sad, but social. Right?" Now Bender's words were definitely insulting but Gem still hadn't decided if he actually meant it like that or not. She better than anyone knew how hard it was to speak your mind without hurting others. '_It's impossible. Either you become an aggressor or a coward. I tried to find some semblance of balance and look where it got me._'

Completely obvious to her thoughts Blondie simply answered the question. "Yeah, well, I guess you could consider it a social situation. I mean there are other children in my club and uh, at the end of the year we have, um, you know, a big banquet, at the, uh, at the Hilton."

"You load up, you party" Bender commented like he had never expected anything else from the physics club. '_His mind must be a gruesome, fascinating place._'

But Blondie either honestly didn't feel insulted yet (which must annoy the wild one greatly) or he was just too unused to ridicule to recognize it (which was near impossible. They were in High School after all and teenagers were nothing if not cruel.) "Well, no, we get dressed up …I mean, but, we don't...we don't get high."

And just like that everyone lost interest into Blondie again. Expect for Gem who couldn't have listened to Bender even if she wanted to. Shy, naïve Blondie was far too enchanting to be cast aside like he was so painfully obviously used to. He was pure. Innocent in a way that went beyond sexual inexperience. His very soul was still sheltered, still intact, still unblemished. Not even Julie one of the nicest girls Gem had ever met had been that whole. But this guy, her Blondie, was not yet spoiled by the hardships of life. He was perfect in a dimension Gem would never be allowed to reach ever again.

Turning around slightly to look at her but still keeping an eye on the wild one Blondie babbled on and on about some shoes, his dad, Indiana, weird food and 'Twilight Zone' but Gem didn't pay attention. She was too entranced with the flawlessness radiating around him like these children star stickers glimmering in the darkness.

"Look, you guys keep up your talking and Vernon's gonna come right in here. I got a meet this Saturday and I'm not gonna miss it on account of you boneheads!"

At hearing Mr Popular speaking again Gem involuntary tensed. The last time moron two spoke up it didn't end too well for her peace of mind. She had no intention to repeat the experience. But of course the wild one rose to the bait Wrestler-guy so unthinkingly offered him and naturally moron two was offended by Benders mocking.

"Well you wouldn't know anything about it, faggot! You never competed in your whole life!"

Gem had never been the most ambitious person preferring to do what had to be done and live her life like she wanted to. But when she was younger she had regularly participated in swimming competitions. It had been part of her training. Gem had never been exceptionally talented or passionate about swimming. It was just a hobby she'd enjoyed, nothing more. But she still remembered her contests. The pressure of being fast enough. The biting comments of the other team members when she screwed something up. Her growing uneasiness at having to swim while so many people were looking and watching for every mistake she could possibly make. Not even four months after her first contest Gem had quit swimming. She had never missed it - especially not the competitions - but everyone had regrets. And her decision to leave everything behind, to disappear and to never look back again, was one of hers.

"Oh, but I do!" The wild one's false excitement broke Gem out of her thoughts once again. '_I really need to stop spacing out all the time_.'

"Yeah?"

"I wanna be just—like-you! I figure all I need's a labotamy and some tights!"

Although not sure what they were talking about Gem couldn't completely suppress a snort at that comment. And then it got a thousand times better when Brian interrupted their pissing contest with a curious "You wear tights?".

"No I don't wear tights, I wear the required uniform." Mr Popular retorted sharply and Gem wondered why he was so defensive about that subject. Maybe he felt like "even lil' old Blondie" was making fun of him?

"Tights" Blondie repeated, more to himself than anyone else and Gem bit on her hand to muffle her laughter. It wasn't so much the Wrestling-boy's embarrassment but more the absurdness of the whole situation. '_The wild one and Blondie really make a formidable team against Mr Popular. Who would have thought?_'

There was some noise outside the library causing Bender to jump down from the railing and slide in the seat between Mr Popular and Redhead. His movements were fast and assured like he'd done this a thousand times already. '_Well, we're talking about Bender. He probably has._' He then folded his hands in front of him like he was praying and bowed his head. Gem grinned at that. If he wanted to look innocent this probably wasn't the way to go. Then again, if he behaved guilty everyone assumed he was the culprit but if he looked innocent everyone was sure that he'd done it. These were the consequences of a reputation like his. '_Though I wonder, does he truly not care? And what would be better for him? Being just as much of an asshole as people think of him or just being a talented actor? Which fate would be preferable?_'

Just as sudden as he had sat down the reason for Gem's dark contemplations got up again and walked confidently towards the double doors separating the library from the hallway.

"You know there's not s'posed to be any monkey business!" Blondie pointed out nervously. Gem smiled a little at that. Reacting on instinct she stood up, walked around the table of the shadow child and up to the front where she chose the place farthest from Mr Popular and Redhead. They hadn't even noticed her moving because the wild one was still keeping them occupied but Blondie gave her a confused look. Truth was, Gem was sick of sitting in the back, away from everyone and anything. And if she turned around now at least she'd be able to read the other's facial expressions. Feeling a bit better Gem gave Blondie a reassuring smile which he returned.

"Bender, that's, that's school property there … you know, it doesn't belong to us. It's something not to be toyed with." Blondie muttered yet again, though only half-heartedly. Gem simply watched. There was nothing she could say to stop the wild one and frankly she didn't want to. He had announced before that he'd close the door so why was everyone surprised? And what was it to her anyway?

With a loud bang the heavy door slammed shut and the wild one raced back into his original seat. If life was a movie there would have been a growing silence following that loud noise. A tense, foreboding calm. Instead jerk one and moron two once again reared their ugly heads.

"That's very funny, come on, fix it!" Mr Popular snapped and was quickly though quietly supported by Blondie.

"Am I a genius?" The wild one countered.

"No, you're an asshole!"

"What a funny guy!"

"Fix the door Bender!"

"Everyone just shhh!"

Gem simply looked from one side to the other. It was similar to a tennis match although once again their could only be one winner. '_Why does Mr Popular always fights a losing battle?_' Gem mused. Was it simply the challenge he couldn't resist? Was an impossible victory so much sweeter? But it was impossible. Who fought when there were no chances left anymore?

"I've been here before, I know what I'm doing!" The wild one finally lost his thin wearing patience. Gem nearly felt the spike of anger physically as Bender's rage overpowered all his other emotions for a second. It was intense, dangerous even, and Gem felt her hackles raising. Tension was thick in the air but clearly Mr Popular didn't know when to give up.

"No! Fix the door, get up there and fix it!"

"Shut up!"

Bender's aggressive shout silenced everyone. Or maybe it was the answering yell from the hallway. Not like it really mattered because before even Wrestler-boy could open his mouth the door was violently thrown open and the one and only Richard Vernon stormed into the library looking ready to kill.

"Why is that door closed?"

His question was sharp, sounding strangely loud and hollow in the uncomfortable silence. Curious Gem lifted her gaze to look around contemplating if anybody would rat Bender out. A part of her already knew the answer of course. It didn't matter how much Mr Popular and the wild one disliked each other. No one wanted to be a tattletale. Nothing united a bunch of teenagers more than an adult demanding answers. One would think Vernon, being a teacher himself, would know that. But maybe he expected different results because they didn't really know each other.

"Why is that door closed?" Vernon repeated like he hadn't screamed loud enough the first time.

"How're we s'posed to know? We're not s'posed to move, right?" At these words form the wild one Gem's head snapped around. Why was he talking? '_Maybe because everyone here knows who did it but Vernon needs some evidence which only one of you can give him?_'

Clearly Vernon had come to the same conclusion. '_See, I knew you had to be smart to be a teacher._' "Why?" he snarled at Redhead whom he'd obviously picked as the weakest one. Interested Gem watched as the girl squirmed under the pressure, seemingly overwhelmed with the situation. Yet her underlying pride flared up once again as she squared her shoulders and replied with just a very, very faint tremble. "We were just sitting here, like we were s'posed to."

Gem lowered her head to hide her grin from the enraged teacher. It was this pride that would get Redhead through life once she left High School behind and needed to stand on her own feet. It might be difficult but she'd be alright, of that Gem was fairly sure.

"Who closed that door?" Vernon repeated yet again sounding like a recurring record. Quite annoying but not yet bothersome.

"I think a screw fell out of it" Bender spoke up again. '_What is he doing? Monopolizing Vernon's attention so nobody screws up._' Gem just didn't get it. But contrary to the others the wild one wasn't stressed or even nervous. Actually he looked kind of amused. In a condescending way. '_At least he's a constant source of entertainment._'

"It just closed, sir" Mr Popular suddenly backed the wild one up and for a short moment Gem saw a satisfied grin on Bender's lips. It was gone a second later.

A rough slap on her table caused Gem to flinch even as she turned back around. Immediately she wished she hadn't. The furious man in front of her looked at the very edge of committing murder or losing his sanity. Or both. Suddenly her normally analyzing mind was completely blank and all Gem could think of was why couldn't Bender do something or say something, just anything, please?!

"Who did it?"

Again Gem flinched as the words were practically spat at her. Her mouth opened though she had no idea what to say. It was easy being logical when you were watching other people but being involved herself threw Gem completely off-balance. This was exactly why she normally didn't take part in confrontations. Her hands clenched on her knees and her legs entangled themselves into an impossible knot as her shoulders hunched over making her look smaller. Wide eyed and speechless she stared at the angry teacher. Somewhere in the back of Gem's mind a voice whispered '_Pitiful. Absolutely pitiful._'

"I-I" She cleared her throat. "I don't know." She spoke so quiet she doubted even Vernon right in front of her had understood it but her lips snapped shut anyway. She didn't plan on opening them again any time soon. Curling into herself defensively Gem darkly glared at the surface of her table. She hated it when something like this happened. When her mind just shut down, unable to deal with the stress, and simply stopped dealing at all.

"Who?" Vernon roared, this time in the general direction of the shadow child. Gem closed her eyes and forced herself to relax again, having not even noticed that Vernon had left at some point or another. A weird squeak was his only answer then (finally) the wild one took control of the conversation once again.

"She doesn't talk, sir." He said calmly which was confirmed by an agreeing squeak from the shadow child.

Seeing as there was no one willing to talk Vernon snarled at Bender who stayed pretty cool compared to the rest of them. '_It's probably a weekly occurrence for them._' Their argument went back and forth for a while but Gem wasn't listening anymore. Even now she still heard the voices inside her head. The same voices she'd never told anyone about, knowing exactly what would have happened with her if she did. But it wasn't an overly creative imagination. It was a living, breathing past, following her every step and spoiling her future like poison. '_Es ist alles gut, Jemmie. Alles wird gut._' (Everything is alright, Jemmie. Everything is fine.) '_Nein, du bist nicht okay. Aber du wirst es sein._' (No, you're not alright. But you'll get there.) '_Was habe ich falsch gemacht?_' (What did I do wrong?) '_Jemmie, rede mit mir! Bitte!_' (Jemmie, talk to me! Please!)

Closing her eyes Gem could still picture his face, pale as death, like she had seen it only just yesterday. And she still remembered the tears in Julie's eyes even when she laughed so hard her stomach hurt and the warmth of her arms around her. She still remembered her voice. Soft. Ever so soft. Strange, beautiful words filling the air. A song Gem never understood yet loved with all her heart. And though Julie wasn't here to calm her down again Gem listened to the melody forever burned into her memory. '_Vois sur ton chemin gamins oubliés égarés donne leur la main pour les mener vers d'autres lendemains …_' (Watch on your way the forgotten troubled children, take their hands to lead them towards another morning)

Soft laughter brought Gem back into reality. She felt free. Peaceful. And though she had no idea what was so funny Gem couldn't help but laugh along with the others. From outside the closed door she heard Vernon's colorful curses but it didn't bother her half as much as it would have before.

"Andrew Clark, get up here! Come on, front and center, let's go!" Vernon suddenly snapped and Gem whimpered quietly. Shrugging of the concerned glances Blondie kept shooting her she internally berated Vernon for absolutely ruining her fun. She hadn't wanted to know Mr Popular's real name because that made her nick name for him useless and silly. Names were something special. She wouldn't go as far as saying a name said anything about a human's character since the parents chose it but it was the way one spoke it's name, held it and carried it that told you almost more than you wanted to know about a person. Now she knew that Wrestler-boy was really Andrew Clark and nothing she did would arise that knowledge. Pretending anything else would be lying and Gem didn't do lying if she could avoid it.

"Hey, how come Andrew gets to get up?" The wild one complained. Of course she already knew part of his name but Bender was different. Bender wasn't really his name. It was an illusion. 'Bender' was a ruthless criminal with violent tendencies. He was to be feared or envied. 'Bender' was the kind of guy parents warned their daughters about. But nobody was two-dimensional. The wild one might well be everything other people said about him but he wasn't just that. Gem couldn't for sure say what else he hid behind a sinister attitude and a smart mouth. Maybe she'd know if he told her his full name. There was one part of her that craved that. The curious part who wanted to study and understand every single person she met. Then there was her other part. The side that wasn't completely neutral. The side that still held emotional connections to her surroundings, weak as they were. It was that side Gem was especially wary of.

"If he gets up, we'll all get up, it'll be anarchy!" The wild one continued, throwing his arms up dramatically.

Feeling slightly detached from the situation Gem mutely watched as Vernon and Clark tried to move some steel magazine rack to block the door. Maybe she didn't want to know their names so this whole detention wouldn't get personal? So she could whisk them away into the back of her mind today evening, nameless faces without any real meaning? Or maybe … Maybe she was afraid of the consequences. Maybe she feared that if she knew so much about them they would demand for her to recuperate. Could she do that? Even just telling them her name?

"That's very clever sir" Bender mocked yet again. '_Didn't he ever get tired of belittling anything and everything around him? It must be a pretty demanding job_.' "But what if there's a fire? I think violating fire codes and endangering the lives of children would be unwise at this juncture in your career, sir."

Vernon paused to think about what the wild one said. '_I hope it hurts_' Gem quipped bitterly to herself. Why did that idiot still listen to Bender anyway? Was he really that easily manipulated?

"Alright, what are you doing with this? Get this outta here for God's sake! What's the matter with you? Come on!"

Obviously he was. How said.

"You know the school comes equipped with fire exits at either end of the library." Blondie pointed out, helpfully being not helpful at all. Gem turned around and shook her head shortly, signaling for him to keep it quiet.

"Show Dick some respect!" The wild one snapped as well. Blondie didn't say another word and Gem wasn't sure if it was because of Bender or because of her. What was stronger, fear or (fresh) friendship? What won, violence or peace? Hate or love? Gem shook her head. These were the kind of questions which gave you a headache because there was no true answer. It could be one or the other. Either was a truth in itself.

Meanwhile Andrew and Vernon had come back into the main section of the library and Vernon was still verbally lashing out at anyone. '_Teaching must really be his passion_' Gem noted dully. It was then that she suddenly perked up, eyes widening in surprise. There on the ground near the doors was a set of keys lying around. '_It has to be Vernon's. Maybe he lost them while fiddling with that stupid rack._' Gem wished she could say that her first instinct was to tell Vernon about the keys and forget about the whole thing. But that wasn't true. It wasn't _Gem_. Her first instinct was to keep her mouth shut. Glancing around cautiously Gem assured herself that Vernon was still occupied with insulting Clark before she slowly rose from her seat, being careful to stay out of the teacher's sight. Good thing she'd decided to sit at the very corner.

"I expected a little more from a varsity letterman!" Vernon just growled as Gem tentatively made the first step in the direction of the door. It was then that the first one noticed her fooling around. It was redhead. The girls eyes grew impossible large for a moment, then she hastily averted her stare. A slight smile formed on Gem's lips as once again her theory about sticking together against adults proved to be true.

She had just reached the door when Vernon turned away to cut down the wild one. "You're not fooling anybody, Bender!" Quick as lightning Gem grabbed the keys and slipped them inside the big pocket of her jacket. As she turned around however Vernon looked to be finished with (or just utterly sick of) his students. "The next screw that falls out is gonna be you!" And with this mean remark Vernon got ready to leave again. For a short, terribly long moment Gem met the wild ones dark eyes, her own fear of getting caught doing nothing but strengthen the unsated fire that was Bender's anger. Then she closed her eyes as shock froze Gem into place and she once again found herself completely unable to do anything at all. Expect panic. That she did.

But suddenly (and miraculously before he'd actually seen her) Vernon stopped dead in his tracks and spun around to face Bender again. "What was that?" He snarled at Bender which made Gem open her eyes again to look at an angry wild one.

"Eat. My. Shorts!" Bender over-pronounced, his glare dark and challenging.

"You just bought yourself another Saturday, mister!" Vernon didn't seem to be in the mood to play any more games.

"Oh, Christ" The wild one muttered loudly with an exaggerated eye-roll. And suddenly Gem realized what he was doing: Bender was covering for her. Saving her ass, actually. But if she stood stock still like her feet were glued to the ground that wouldn't help anyone. So shaking of her shock she once again sneaked back to her place as silent as possible. She needn't have bothered. Vernon's shouts were so loud she could probably wear a couple of bells and still get away with it.

"You just bought one more right there!"

"Well, I'm free the Saturday after that...beyond that, I'm gonna have to check my calendar!" Bender countered snappishly just as Gem slid back into her seat.

"Good! 'Cause it's gonna be filled, we'll keep goin'! You want another one? Say the word, just say the word! Instead of going to prison, you'll come here! Are you through?"

Gem winced at the last comment. Even if the wild one had started this shit for her now his anger was definitely genuine (and to a certain degree justified). His aggression, usually subtly mixed into his aura, was gaining the upper hand again and his presence seemed to darken right in front of her eyes.

"No!"

"I'm doing society a favor!"

"So?"

"That's another one, right now! I've got you for the rest of your natural-born life if you don't watch your step! You want another one?"

This wasn't about her anymore. Maybe it had never truly been. This was about power. About dominance. In the end it was a fight neither of them could win. But reason hadn't stopped the human race before and Gem doubted that this would change now of all times. Her instincts were proven right yet again.

"Yes!" Bender's voice might have been reluctant but that wouldn't be enough for him to back down. That's why he was the wild one after all. He _never_ backed down.

"You got it! You got another one, right there! That's another one pal!"

That was the reason Gem contrary to redhead didn't try anything to stop Bender from digging his own grave and pulling Vernon down with him.

"You through?"

"Not even close, bud!" With every word he spoke Gem could feel the rage inside him building, growing, strengthening. It was just as horrible to watch as it was mesmerizing.

"Good! You got one more, right there!

"Do you really think I give a shit?"

"Another!"

"You through?"

It happened so fast Gem barely had the time to blink but somehow when Bender replied with a quick „How many is that?" the spell the argument had held over her broke. Or maybe that was Blondie's fault who immediately took the opportunity to interrupt the confrontation. Maybe he didn't like quarrels?

"That's seven including the one when we first came in and you asked Mr. Vernon here whether Barry Manilow knew that he raided his closet."

"Now it's eight" Vernon added. '_There it is._' Even if he could have justified the other detentions this one was clearly undeserved. What worried Gem a little was how less her fellow students seemed to care. The only one to protest was Blondie when this blatant injustice should have never been possible to begin with. '_Is there no protection against abuse of power or anything?_' Oh, Gem was well aware that the wild one would have gotten this detention one way or another but at the very least he should earn his punishment instead of being bullied by a teacher. But obviously nobody cared. Well, expect for Blondie. But all he got was a "Shut up, Peewee!". Which was an absolutely inappropriate reaction. Again though, nobody cared. '_What's wrong with these people? What is wrong with _me_?_'

"You're mine Bender, for two months I gotcha! I gotcha!" Again, completely inappropriate. '_What happened to being a mature adult?_'

"What can I say? I'm thrilled!" The wild one spoke sarcastic but there was a tension in his muscles that hadn't been there before. No matter how much he tried to hide it, Vernon probably got more under his skin than he liked to admit.

"Oh, I'm sure that's exactly what you want these people to believe. You know something, Bender? You ought to spend a little more time trying to do something with yourself and a little less time trying to impress people. You might be better off!"

'_A little hypocritical, aren't we? There's no way you didn't kiss some ass if just to keep your job. No sane man would let you near children unsupervised._' Lightly shaking her head Gem wondered for a moment how Julie would have reacted to someone like Vernon. Julie was gentle and sweet but her parents were very dedicated lawyers, specialized in children rights. And sometimes it showed. Nope, it wouldn't have been pretty. '_I'm just not sure for whom …_'

"Alright, that's it! I'm going to be right outside those doors. The next time I hafta come in here…I'm cracking skulls!" With these charming parting words and an exaggerated gesture Vernon left the library fuming. '_That man really has a flare for dramatics._' Gem tiredly closed her eyes. She didn't want to ask how Fabian would have reacted to meeting this vile teacher. But she didn't need to. Gem knew already what would have happened.

Not even the noise of the closing door managed to sufficiently drown out Bender's scream. "Fuck you!" This time Gem didn't flinch. Because that was exactly what Fabian would have done. Strangely enough she felt like smiling.

* * *

The lines are pretty much directly from the movie and the french song is called "Vois sur ton chemin".

Comments? Suggestions? Like? Dislike? **R&R**!

Love Schlangenkind


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